February was a challenging and volatile month.
A strong start to the year was followed by a significant sector-rotationtriggered by risk-off-flowsa reassessment of growth stocks and the need to consistently address operational weaknesses in the portfolio.
Despite the volatility, it was a month of strategic realignment:
📊 Monthly performance: -3,15%
📊 Portfolio value: ~39.144 €
📊 Performance max: +27,58%
📊 Performance YTD: -1,32%
Performance & comparison 🚀
February was characterized by a clear sector rotation:
Software & high-beta tech corrected under pressure, while selected hardware stocks and broadly diversified value stocks showed relative stability.
Performance in comparison (01.02-28.02.2026):
My portfolio: -3,48%
NASDAQ 100: -4,05%
S&P 500: -1,29%
DAX: +1,03%
FTSE All-World: +0,97%
👉 The relative underperformance is due to the high growth exposure, although the portfolio just managed to outperform the NASDAQ 100, which was under heavy pressure.
Purchases, sales & allocation 💶
The focus in February was clearly on portfolio streamlining and strategic shift:
Acquisitions 💰
Hermes ($RMS (-3.03%)) targeted expansion in the quality segment. TSMC ($2330) tactical entry due to the observed shift on the stock market from software to hardware. Bitcoin ($BTC (+0.06%)) - purchase of € 500 from the Euro Overnight Rate Swap ETF ($XEON (-0.02%)) at € 54,216 to lower the average price to € 63,000.
Sales ❌
Complete separation of Tomra Systems ($TOM (+0.82%)) and Novo Nordisk ($NOVO B (+1.34%)), as the companies have been operationally disappointing in recent quarters and there were no clear signs of a turnaround from management.
👉 The cash ratio is currently being used dynamically for opportunities through targeted acquisitions.
Top movers in February 🟢
Despite the market environment, February was driven by quality stocks and successful rebounds.
The strongest performer was Keyence ($6861 (-3.45%)), which showed massive relative strength with +16.21%. Another strong performer was Ferrari ($RACE (-2.54%)) was also strong with +13.45%, followed by Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.B (-3.67%)), which acted as a stable anchor with +6.22%.
The iShares MSCI World Small Cap ($WSML (-0.44%)) gained +3.61%, while the iShares MSCI ACWI ($ACWI) formed a solid base with +0.70%. The Xtrackers II EUR Overnight Rate ($XEON (-0.02%)) rounded off the picture with +0.15% and served as a source for the Bitcoin investment.
Flop movers in February 🔴
The weaker side of the portfolio was clearly to be found in the growth and crypto segment.
IREN ($IREN (+2.03%)) corrected by -24.10% after the strong previous month. Also Mercado Libre ($MELI (+2.06%)) also came under significant pressure at -17.33%. CrowdStrike ($CRWD (+4.88%)) -16.94% and Snowflake ($SNOW (+0.84%)) -16.36% suffered from the general shift in sentiment in the software sector.
Also Alibaba ($BABA (-0.9%)) also gave back the gains of the previous month with -16.02%. Nubank ($NU (+2.84%)) rounded off the list of losers with -15.90% due to the poor sentiment among payment providers.
👉 Important: These are primarily valuation and sentiment moves, not fundamental breaks - nevertheless, the lack of operational momentum made it necessary to sell positions.
Conclusion 💡
February was not an easy month, but a necessary for rebalancing:
➡️ Strategic separation of stocks without operational momentum
➡️ Focus shiftFrom software/high growth to hardware (TSMC) and focus on quality (Hermes)
➡️ Volatility deliberately used to lower the average Bitcoin price
The environment remains challenging:
Interest rates, Fed expectations and the rotation into hardware stocks will continue to shape the markets in March. The focus remains on quality, operational excellence and liquidity.
❓ Question for the community
Which stock surprised you the most in February - positively or negatively?
👇 Write it in the comments!
